Grumman G-164A accident near Vinton, Iowa, August 5, 2007
On August 5, 2007 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Grumman G-164A, registered N48558, was destroyed in an accident near Vinton, Iowa. It was an aerial observation flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot failed to maintain clearance from the power line while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. A factor was the power line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2007 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vinton, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-164A · all G-164As on the register
- Registration
- N48558 · no longer on the register · serial 1641
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane struck a power line while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that he was maneuvering to re-enter the field after a go-around due to a high sink rate on the previous downwind pass. The pilot reported that the landing gear "caught the top wire" of the north/south power line, and then the airplane impacted an east/west power line. The airplane yawed 90-degrees and impacted the ground. The airplane was consumed by fire after the ground impact. The pilot received minor injuries.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,118 hours in all; 234 in this make and model; 357 in the last 90 days; 154 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 1340-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VTI Vinton IA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.